By Lamont H. Fuchs, Ed. D.,
excerpt from “Preacher Spurs” Christian Faith Publishers, 2022
”Thou, therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things which thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:1-3
And verse four says, “No soldier on service entangleth himself in the affairs of this life; that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier.”
This verse seems strange, and I often wonder what Paul is saying, implying, or teaching. I get the part about pleasing the one who enlisted him, referring to each of us as we who have accepted Jesus’ aim to please the one who enlisted us, but what do you suppose he means about “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits?” When I served in the military, I knew I was really at work and under the control of my superiors 24/7. We could be called into battle or war at any time, and we knew we had better show up or be declared a deserter. Sure, during peace, they gave us time off and facilitated making our lives as normal as possible, but it was not that way in Paul’s time. In Paul’s day, a soldier was indeed a soldier 24/7. Soldiers (not commanders or generals) but the soldiers in the field, garrison, and fort were always on call and on duty. They did not go to the store; they did not have weekends with their wife and kids; they did not work a part-time job, enjoy hobbies, or take time off to go sightseeing or go to a favorite restaurant. If they did any of that, they did it when they were on duty. Even today, the life of a soldier in some military organizations, as then, is a total commitment. They never partook in civilian affairs because they were not civilians. They often were ordered against civilians because most of the military in the time of Paul was occupation forces.
I know you did not come for a history lesson on the life of a Roman soldier, but now think about what Paul was saying when he wrote this. As soldiers for Christ, we must be willing and ready as dedicated and enlisted soldiers for His work 24/7 and not be distracted by our civilian life. We are to live “All In” as Christian soldiers in our civilian life. That is dedication, devotion, and surrender.
In consideration of everything Paul is saying, people should commit to that intensive kind of enlistment.
Consider what Jesus said to his disciples. In Mark 8, written in red letters beginning with verse 34, “And he called unto him the multitude with his disciples, and said unto them If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever would save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s shall save it. For what doth it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? For what should a man give in exchange for his life? 38 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man also shall be ashamed of him, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Now the context and the meaning of what Paul writes about being a soldier gets real. The people Jesus was speaking to knew exactly what it meant to follow Him.
Do you have that kind of commitment? Living a Christian life takes courage. It takes considerable fortitude to step up or step out and say – I will. I understand many cannot or will not make that decision for fear of what that kind of enlistment might do to the lives they love to live right now.
So, take the other road and surrender. Yeah, that is what I said; surrender to Jesus and let him stand you up to be His soldier. Give yourself over to the higher power – to Jesus and let Him take your life. You may not be ready for battle. You may need to get in shape. You need to learn how to use spiritual weapons; you need to know and understand the battle plan. You may need to stop some civilian activities that hinder your relationship with God. He will guide you. Once accepted, the Spirit that dwells within you will train you and protect you. The Spirit will work on you over time and help you understand what you need to do to become more Holy. Have faith in God to clean you up and change the things you know are not right in your life.
The military takes civilians just as they are and makes them soldiers. Jesus and the Spirit do precisely the same thing. It is a lifetime commitment and a new way of life, but it is a life that is an eternal reward in Heaven. So, save your life; give it to Jesus today.
